In a devastating blow, Houston voters have repealed a law preventing discrimination of homosexuals. The Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) has been obliterated in a citywide vote. Support the LGBT community in Houston and demand that Mayor Parker put an end to this discrimination.

HERO was put into place in 2014 to protect the vulnerable populations of Houston. These populations included African Americans, veterans, disabled people, and the LGBT community. The law served as protection against discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. Gay rights activists headed the passing of the law and even signed it into place.

In recent months, however, anti-gay supporters have turned this once promising law into “the bathroom ordinance.” With transgender equality becoming a widespread concern, anti-gay supporters latched onto this idea and formed an entire agenda surrounding the fear of transgender individuals sharing bathrooms with children. They posted hateful ads and shared false information about the intentions of transgender individuals in order to prey on the concerns of the public and gain votes.

Gay rights activists, on the contrary, ran ads that complimented the city of Houston and did not attempt to tear down the opposition. In fact, gay rights activists spent 3-4 times more money on their ad campaigns and were still overrun by the hateful agenda. In the end, it was hate that appealed HERO and put the LGBT community in a vulnerable place once again. Take a stand with the LGBT community and demand that this vote be reexamined.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Mayor Parker,

Anti-gay activists have been working towards the appeal of HERO for months. They’ve posted hateful anti-gay ads on TV and gone to great lengths to get the Houston public on their side. Now, with the loss of HERO, the LGBT community is vulnerable once again.

The “bathroom ad,” one of the most insidious ad campaigns, insinuated that transgender individuals would molest children in public restrooms. This ad campaign became popular due it’s shocking content and made a significant impact on voters. However, this was not a fair fight. Anti-gay activists used false information and petty assumptions to gain the advantage.

Now, the LGBT community is no longer safe from discrimination in employment, housing, and other public accommodations. We demand that this vote be reexamined and that you support LGBT rights activists in their attempts to restore HERO.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: melschmitz

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